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It Is Not Enough to Pray

Today a new Shrine to Saint Thomas More was blessed during Mass at the Church that bears that saint’s name in St Paul. (You can watch a video about the painting that adorns the new shrine here.)

During his homily, Fr. Joe Weiss referenced the final line of the Prayer of Saint Thomas More: “O Lord, give us the grace to work for the things we pray for.”

It is not enough, suggested Fr. Joe to simply pray for what we want. To pray, for example, that our Church grow, or that the Church have good leadership and so forth. Rather, we need to join our prayer with action. We need to work for the things we pray for – in big ways and in small.

Fr. Joe is a Jesuit and his comment reflects Ignatius’ belief that we are called to labor with Christ. God does not leave us alone to bear the full load, but neither does God do it all for us. We are called to labor with.

So we need to pray, of course. (And I head off mid-week to direct another retreat at the Jesuit Retreat House in OshKosh.) But prayer alone is not enough. That is a reminder we need now and then.